Blacklandia Events Series and the Riverside Art Museum Present June Edmonds and the Legacy of American Abstract Painting with art historian Richard Allen May III and curator Lisa Henry
Saturdays in September 10, 17, 24, and October 1
- 4:00-5:30 PM – September, 10, 27, 24 via Zoom
- 2:30-4:00 PM – October 1 an optional in-person meeting at Riverside Art Museum.
Free and open to the public. Register at this link.
This workshop will be team-taught by art historian Richard May III and curator Lisa Henry.
Coinciding with the Riverside Art Museum’s exhibition of Abstract painter June Edmonds, this four-part workshop will survey the hidden history of American Abstract art. Focusing on the vibrant work of LA based artist June Edmonds, the workshop will give participants a background on American abstract painters with a special focus on women and artists of color like Edmonds who have pursued a path of abstraction with an emphasis on color, pattern and texture to create works of stunning power.
Each week, both instructors will present brief lectures on specific topics related to abstract art, followed by engaged discussion regarding art appreciation, interpretation and personal identity. Each class will use the works of June Edmonds as a prism for a wider consideration of contemporary abstract painting. A reading list will also be posted for participants that want to delve further into the field.
Richard Allen May III is a scholar, educator, cultural critic, and artist dedicated to the history and contributions of African American artists. He was selected as an editor and had his foreword included in the May 2020 book, AFRICOBRA: Experimental Art Toward a School of Thought by Wadsworth Jarrell and published by Duke University Press. May has presented his research on African American art at the San Jose State Art History Symposium, the New Critical Perspectives on African American Art History at the David C. Driskell Center in Maryland and the College Art Association’s annual conference in 2010 held in Chicago. Since 2021, he has taught survey courses in art history the Bowie State University, an HBCU (Historically Black College, University) in Maryland. Additionally, as a lecturer for the African American Studies Department for California State University, Fullerton, Cal State San Bernardino and Art Center, he incorporates the study of African American artists in his instruction to students. May has contributed art exhibition reviews, curator profiles, artist interviews and book reviews for Los Angeles-based magazine, Artillery for over six years. Lisa Henry is an independent curator and educator working in Southern California. She is the curator of Riverside Art Museum’s upcoming exhibition featuring June Edmonds. She has also organized Brenna Youngblood: Lavender Rainbow and Sheila Pree Bright: #1960Now at RAM. She has also curated shows at California African American Museum, The UCLA Hammer Museum and The MAC Center for Art and Architecture in Los Angeles.
Image: June Edmonds, Two Lillies of Ojai, oil on canvas, courtesy of Katherine Ng and Becky Villasenor
Unidos is back with their second series of diálogos! If you enjoyed the last series or even if you missed them, here’s your opportunity to join us for two dynamic virtual conversations.
Coming up on Thursday, April 29, 6 p.m.–8 p.m., we will celebrate Chicano Park and its rich history, art, and culture, and the fight of the people of Barrio Logan to keep Chicano Park. Join this diálogo featuring Herbert Siguenza of Culture Clash and Josie Talamantez, member of the Chicano Park Steering Committee.
On Thursday, May 20, 6 p.m.–8 p.m., we will be honored by the one and only Dolores Huerta and the talented Daniel Valdez as we get into the role arte, musica, and teatro have played and how they continue to be such an integral part of the Chicano Movement.
Tickets are $25. All funds raised will benefit The Cheech!
¡Que Viva Chicano Park! Art, Culture, and History: Thursday, April 29, 6 p.m.–8 p.m., $25
Moderator: Herbert Siguenza of Culture Clash
En Diálogo with: Josie Talamantez, Chicano Park Steering Committee Member, and Yolanda Lopez, Artist.
Arte, Música, and Teatro in the Movimiento: Thursday, May 20, 6 p.m.–8 p.m., $25
Moderator: Jose “Dr. Loco” Cuellar
En Diálogo with: Dolores Huerta, Labor Leader and Community Organizer, and Daniel Valdez, Actor, Musician, Composer, and Activist
°°°
This is a series of conversations organized by Unidos. Unidos is a collective of many local and community-focused organizations and engaged individuals, together serving the diverse spectrum of the Chicano Latino community in Riverside and across Inland Southern California. Unidos was formed to work together on initiatives that serve us all beyond the valued niche mission of each group.
This series of conversations is sponsored by: Assemblymember Jose Medina and Pat Reynolds
About Our Auction
This auction is part of En Diálogo: Unidos Presents | Unveiling Chicano Art and Culture: A Preview of The Cheech, a series of conversations raising funds for The Cheech. Proceeds will support opening exhibitions and future programming at the new Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art Museum.
No Cost
The Riverside Art Museum and The Cheech, in partnership with the Inlandia Institute, is excited to present a dynamic panel discussion about the significance of el Cinco de Mayo—especially to Chicanos.
Join hosts Jorge “Mr. Blue” Hernandez & Frances J. Vásquez in a festive evening celebrating cultura with local educators and cultural arts aficionados José Chávez, Dr. Carlos Cortés, Dr. Irene M. Sanchez, and Ofelia Valdez-Yeager.
Through music, pláticas, poetry, stories, and personal reflections, panelists will discuss the cultural and historical perspectives of why Chicanos have embraced the pivotal Batalla de Puebla, which took place in México 159 years ago on May 5, 1862, and has been celebrated in California since 1863.
Off the Wall is about making original art available at affordable prices for first-time buyers, as well as more seasoned collectors.
To that end, use OTW2020 for a 25% discount at checkout right now!
BUY ART AT OFFTHEWALL2020.ORG!
Off The Wall is going virtual!
Shop your heart out at this special art sale presented by the Art Alliance of the Riverside Art Museum from the comfort of your own home or backyard. The online sale runs October 23–28 and features works by artists from throughout Inland Southern California. It is a rare opportunity to purchase original art at VERY reasonable prices ($100, $200, $300, or $400). This is a great chance for new collectors and for seasoned collectors alike.
The exclusive opening event will offer a fun virtual tour of the gallery and other engaging programming. Become a sponsor to get special early access to purchase your must-have piece before someone else snags it. Top sponsors will also receive refreshments the evening of the sale.
Virtual Off the Wall 2020 is a fundraiser for RAM by the Art Alliance, the nonprofit fundraising arm of the museum that hosts many events throughout the year to keep art alive in Riverside.
Opening Event Tickets
Join us for a fun evening with the artists and fellow art lovers as we open the online sale to Gala ticket holders before it goes live to the general public at 8 a.m. the next day!
This online virtual Gala will happen on Zoom on Friday, October 23, 2020, 6:30 p.m.–8 p.m. Tickets are $25.
Click here to purchase your ticket!
Ticket purchasers! Check your emails for the Zoom link to tonight’s event and the link to the art sales website; the password for the art sales website will be announced during the Zoom event.
FYI for those who purchased art during Off the Wall. First, THANK YOU! Second, you can pick up the art you purchased:
- Thursday, October 29, 2020, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
- Friday, October 30, 2020, 2 p.m.–6 p.m.
- Saturday, October 31, 2020, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Shipping is available for out-of-area purchasers (US Mainland Only) at UPS or USPS rates plus $4 handling; we will contact you separately for payment of shipping charges.
Become a Sponsor
We are looking for a few great sponsors and want to offer you the opportunity to be a part of this exciting and exclusive event. The Riverside Art Museum is the largest visual arts museum in the Inland Empire and welcomes approximately 50,000 visitors each year. Your sponsorship will allow our museum to keep showing great art in our community and offer educational programs for all ages.
You can choose to be a Platinum sponsor for $1,000, a Gold sponsor for $500, or a Silver sponsor for $250. With these tax-deductible sponsorships, your name or company name and/or logo will be listed on marketing materials and in social media coverage. The higher your sponsorship, the earlier your access to purchase art before the sale opens to ticket holders the day of the sale.
To reserve your spot and ensure the most media exposure, we need to hear from you as soon as possible.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions: Emmanuelle Reynolds at [email protected] or Madelyn Warner at [email protected].
Thank you for your support and best regards!
“Platinum” for $1,000.
This sponsorship provides you with:
- 6 tickets to the Virtual Gala; refreshments for sponsor will be arranged
- FIRST early-bird admittance to view and buy artwork
- Your name on RAM and event website, e-vites, and acknowledged during event
“Gold” for $500.
This sponsorship provides you with:
- 4 tickets to the Virtual Gala; refreshments for sponsor will be arranged
- SECOND early-bird admittance to view and buy artwork
- Your name on on RAM and event website, e-vites, and acknowledged during event
“Silver” for $250.
This sponsorship provides you with:
- 2 tickets to the Virtual Gala; refreshments for sponsor will be arranged
- THIRD early-bird admittance to view and buy artwork
- Your name on RAM and event website, e-vites, and acknowledged during event
Riverside Art Museum Tax ID# 95-1904692. Please consult your tax advisor to determine tax deductibility.
Info for Artists
Off the Wall returns to Riverside this October. We hope that you will participate again and we look forward to providing you with a great opportunity to showcase and sell your work, as well as support the Riverside Art Museum (RAM). This year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, we are planning a Virtual Exhibition and Online Sale. The virtual exhibition opening event and sale will be on October 23, 2020, but we will need your art early in order to take professional pictures.
Our 2018 sales were a great success. We sold over $25,000 worth of art in one evening. This year, we expect that your art will be viewed by thousands of people and potential purchasers via the virtual platform during the exhibition/sale period of October 23–28. The Art Alliance and RAM will be promoting the sale.
There are a few important things that we want you to know:
- Due to time and technology limitations, we cannot guarantee that all your art will be displayed the night of the exhibition opening event and sale.
- The Art Alliance reserves the right not to exhibit and/or sell any art that is not deemed suitable for an online exhibit and sale.
- If you are currently a RAM member, you may submit up to four pieces of original art. All pieces must be priced at $100, $200, $300, or $400, and must be “ready to hang”. At least one piece must be priced at $100.
- If you are not currently a member of RAM, you may submit up to two pieces of original art. At least one piece must be priced at $100. If you would like to become a member, click here.
- Due to required physical distancing and to facilitate the art-intake process, we would appreciate if you would submit your paperwork via online form in advance of dropping off your artwork. Alternatively, you can download, print, and fill out the required forms in advance: the artist’s agreement and receipt, art tag(s) for each submitted artwork, and the COVID-19 OTW Guidelines, and bring all paperwork with you when dropping off your artwork. It is important that you print legibly. If you do not have a website but would like potential purchasers to have your email address, please write it on the website line on the art tag; otherwise, leave it blank.
- The Art Alliance will have a professional photographer take a picture of your art. Make sure your art is “hanging ready” with solid cable or bracket(s). Frames need to be in good condition and secure. Non-glare glass is preferable for mixed media or watercolor. As we will be selling online, some purchasers may not be local and might ask us to ship the art to them, so we would recommend less glass and offering some smaller paintings to facilitate shipping. Glass art will not be available for shipping.
- Shipping shall be paid by the purchaser.
As in past years, artists receive 50% of the price of the artwork sold.
The important dates for you to be aware of are:
- Art Intake*:
- Thursday, October 1, 2020, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
- Friday, October 2, 2020, 2 p.m.–6 p.m.
- Saturday, October 3, 2020, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
- Virtual Exhibition Opening and Sale:
- Friday, October 23, 2020, time to be determined
- Art Pick Up*:
- Thursday, October 29, 2020, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
- Friday, October 30, 2020, 2 p.m.–6 p.m.
- Saturday, October 31, 2020, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
* Please do not come to the museum for art drop off or pick up if:
- you have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 or COVID-19 symptoms;
- you have experienced any of the following symptoms in the last 10 days:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
- You have been told to self-isolate by a Public Health or medical professional.
This list does not include all possible symptoms. Please visit the CDC’s website for more info.
While at the museum for art intake or pick up, please:
- wear your mask so it covers your nose and mouth.
- maintain a physical distance of six feet between yourself and others as much as possible.
Please contact Emmanuelle Reynolds, [email protected] (951-538-5212) or Tami Fleming Maio, [email protected] (951-318-5363), if you have any questions.
We look forward to seeing you in October!
Thank you to our generous sponsors!
Platinum Sponsors
Jamie & Raul Aballi
Kathy & Gary Christmas
Gold Sponsors



Selina & Philip Bremenstuhl
Kathy & Dave Bocian
Anne & Joseph Deem
Francie & Eric Johnson
Cathy & Steve Morford
Michelle Ouellette
Betty & Walter Parks
Emmanuelle & Morey Reynolds
Silver Sponsors


Kathy & John Allavie
Lucile Arntzen
Kathryn Arthur
Eileen & Stephen Ashwal
Pam & Mark Balys
Bosco Cason
Erin Christmas
Suzy & Gary Clem
Mike Dahdul of La Bodega
Patti & David Funder
Cheryl & Dayton Gilleland
Martha González
Suzanne N. Gray
Adam Guzkowski
Arthur & Peggy Littleworth
Tami & Steve Maio
Sue Mitchell
Dr. Ciriaco “Cid” Pinedo
Patricia Reynolds
Marianne Ronay
Cookie Smith
Patrick Sura of Grapow Riverside
Madelyn Warner
Kathy Wright & Dwight Tate
The Riverside Art Museum (RAM) celebrates the talents of four Chicana artists through “Son Cuatro: In Conversation”, a new virtual program series presented via Zoom during June 2021. The first conversation is scheduled for Wednesday, June 16, 4 p.m., with Margaret García. Additional conversations are scheduled with Sonya Fe (Wednesday, June 23, 4 p.m.); CiCi Segura González (Saturday, June 26, 4 p.m.); and Judithe Hernández (Wednesday, June 30, 4 p.m.).
Part of RAM’s continued programming leading up to the opening of its Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art Museum, “Son Cuatro: In Conversation” is focused on sharing the work and the stories of Chicana/o artists, gaining their insights, and helping to inspire more community interaction in support of The Cheech. This inaugural series is made possible through the generosity of the Union Pacific Foundation.
Each artist conversation will be edited into a separate audio episode and compiled into a podcast series with the same name to be nationally syndicated later this summer and available through listening platforms such as Spotify, iHeart, and others. Listeners will be able to subscribe to the forthcoming “Son Cuatro: In Conversation” podcast through RAM’s website at www.riversideartmuseum.org/soncuatro or wherever they listen to their favorite audio programs online.
PODCAST LINKS ARE NOW LIVE. SEE BELOW.
Each conversation will feature a guest host. In addition, the moderator of the series is Todd Wingate, Director of Exhibitions and Collections at the Riverside Art Museum. The producer of the series is Melissa Richardson Banks, the arts marketing specialist who has managed Cheech Marin’s notable Chicano art collection since 2005. She has also worked with him to organize, market, and tour more than 13 exhibitions of works from his collection to over 50 museums nationwide and in Europe. Her firm CauseConnect celebrates its 20th anniversary of “doing business by doing good” in October 2021.
JUNE SERIES SCHEDULE
Margaret García on Wednesday, June 16, 2021, 4 p.m. (PDT): Margaret García says “her work provides a look at my community through the presence of the individual” and her desire is for her work “to be pertinent and meaningful.” Although she does not consider her work overtly political, over time, she has come to realize that many of her portraits belies the stereotypes given to any one culture by the media. In addition to her portrayals of sensual women of mixed race, many of García’s street scenes and landscapes depicting her neighborhood of Highland Park are in Cheech Marin’s collection. A teacher and a mentor to many young artists, García studied at California State University, Northridge; Los Angeles City College; and the University of Southern California where she earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in 1992. Her work has been exhibited in group shows throughout the United States and in Europe, and she is published widely. García teaches and lectures extensively on art in different cultures. Her first solo museum exhibition opens this October at the Museum of Ventura County (www.venturamuseum.org). Learn more at www.margaretgarcia-artist.com. During the pandemic, García conceived her “Prayers” project and has been a mentor, inspiration, and champion for the team that now leads Prayers Worldwide. Visit www.prayersfromla.org.
Click here to listen to the Son Cuatro podcast featuring Margaret García.
Sonya Fe on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, 4 p.m. (PDT): Sonya Fe grew up drawing on the cement floors of her family’s East Los Angeles home—an activity that her seven siblings, her Jewish-American mother, and her Mexican-American father fully encouraged. In 1976, she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, California. Her paintings, which are recognized for their beautiful execution, focus on the plight of women and children. Fe has published children’s stories and a drawing book, and is the co-founder of Publishing Children’s Stories, a program for elementary schools that integrates literacy, art, and technology. Her work has been exhibited in museums and galleries throughout California; across the nation, including New York and Washington D.C.; and in Mexico and Japan. Visit www.sonyafe.com.
Click here to listen to the Son Cuatro podcast featuring Sonya Fe.
CiCi Segura González on Saturday, June 26, 2021, 4 p.m. (PDT): Primarily an abstract artist, CiCi Segura González also paints figurative work using oil, acrylic, and watercolor, and uses printmaking techniques to create woodcuts, etchings, and monoprints. She studied art at East Los Angeles College, working with artist mentors such as Roberto Chavez, Dale Maix, and Uli Boege. Like many Chicano/a artists, she printed at L.A.’s Self Help Graphics under the guidance of Sister Karen Boccalero and has taught at-risk youth. She has worked for many companies such as the Walt Disney Company as an in-house graphic designer, storyboard artist, fashion illustrator, and art director. For the annual Trópico de Nopal Calavera Fashion Show in Los Angeles, Segura González created costumes over the years in homage to art icons such as Rufino Tamayo and David Alfaro Siqueiros. Widely collected internationally, her artwork is also included in major U.S. publications and private collections. Check her feed for updates at www.instagram.com/cici.segura.gonzalez. Her work is featured on the cover of the catalog for the Papel Chicano Dos: Works on Paper from the Cheech Marin Collection, which is on view at the Colorado Springs Fine Art Center now through August 7, 2021. Learn more aboutSegura González at www.riversideartmuseum.org/exhibits/online-exhibitions/artist-stories-cici-segura-gonzalez/.
Click here to listen to the Son Cuatro podcast featuring CiCi Segura González.
Judithe Hernández on Wednesday, June 30, 2021, 4 p.m. (PDT): Judithe Hernández began her career in the early 1970s as a major figure of LA’s Chicano Arts Movement, merging activism with her artistic practice. Originally gaining prominence as a muralist, she became the fifth and only female member of the art collective Los Four. Over the last five decades, she has developed a studio practice, which centers around pastel on paper, fusing Western and indigenous iconography with Mexican and Chicano themes. Hernández is included in many significant public and private collections including the Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, the National Museum of Mexican Art, and the Bank of America Collection. Recent exhibitions include War Within, War Without, Museum of Modern Art, now on display through November 2021 and Life Model: Charles White and His Students, LACMA (2019). In 2016, twenty-four glass mosaic panels Hernández designed for the Downtown Santa Monica Metro Station were installed. Commissioned by the L.A. County Transportation Authority, the suite of panels is known as L.A. Sonata. Learn more at www.judithehernandez.com.
Click here to listen to the Son Cuatro podcast featuring Judith Hernández.
This program is brought to you by the generous support of:

January 20, 2022, 6 p.m.–7 p.m. on Zoom
Happy birthday, Julia Morgan! January 20, 2022, marks what would be the 150th birthday of renowned architect Julia Morgan! To celebrate, please join us for a presentation via Zoom by scholar Karen McNeill about Julia Morgan’s legacy designing institutions for women. McNeill’s research centers the development of Morgan’s Riverside YWCA (where RAM currently resides) as part of the transnational women’s movement in the 1920s. The story of the remarkable leadership of the Riverside women who made this project possible despite all challenges is not to be missed!
Karen McNeill specializes in architectural history, receiving her PhD from UC Berkeley in 2006. Her scholarship on architect Julia Morgan explores the intersection of gender, reform, and the built environment during the Progressive Era. She has received numerous awards including a research fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Click here to register in advance for this meeting.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
About our Julia Morgan building
Among the art museum’s greatest assets is its 1929 building and its blueprints, which are held in our Permanent Collection. Originally a YWCA, it is listed as a National Historic Site and designated as a City Landmark within downtown Riverside’s Mission Inn Historic District. Most notably, the building was designed by Julia Morgan (January 20, 1872–February 2, 1957), California’s first licensed female architect. Perhaps best known for her work at Hearst Castle in San Simeon, Morgan was also the first woman to receive the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal Award in 2014.
The Riverside YWCA was one of more than 700 buildings designed by Morgan during her prolific career. Its signature reinforced-concrete construction provided a sturdy foundation for the Riverside Art Center (now the Riverside Art Museum) when they purchased the facility in 1967 and began the transformation into a robust hub for arts education and exhibitions.
Over the decades, RAM has worked to preserve Morgan’s design details, investing significantly in the building’s maintenance and improvements. In addition to individual donors, foundations such as the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, Provident Bank, and the Wingate Foundation have championed the building’s importance as a regional museum, a cultural gathering space, and an architectural gem. We are grateful to these longtime supporters and are pleased to report that this summer we received an award from the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Climate Initiative, a multi-year grant-making program designed to advance the goal of carbon neutrality in the visual arts. Over the coming months, a Frankenthaler-funded energy assessment, along with a Carpenter-funded historic structure report, will provide a framework as we look to the future preservation of our Julia Morgan building and its role as a vibrant 21st century museum.
Join Douglas McCulloh, Senior Curator at UCR ARTS: California Museum of Photography and RAM Trustee, in conversation with Golden Hour curator Eve Schillo, Assistant Curator, Wallis Annenberg Photography Department at LACMA, via Zoom, on Monday, September 13, 5 p.m.–6 p.m. Click here to register.
The awards reception for the Members’ Exhibition has been moved to Zoom on Wednesday, September 15, 2021, 5:30 p.m.–6:15 p.m. Click here to register.